Beer Socials 2018: This year, we’re growing back to our roots.

Beer Socials 2018: This year, we’re growing back to our roots.

Can you remember the first time you ate a tomato right off the vine? It probably didn’t look like the perfect spherical tomatoes you can find in the produce aisle. No, it probably was a bit misshapen, perhaps even a tad bulbous. Maybe it was a deep electric shade of red, unlike any of the washed out colored tomatoes you’re used to seeing at the grocery store. It was different than what you were used to, so you took an apprehensive bite. And you were instantly hit with a flood of flavor. The tomato had an impossibly perfect profile of equal parts sweet and acidic, with just the right amount of earthy notes to it.

Why did it taste so much richer than the tomatoes you were used to? Maybe because food just seems to taste better when it’s grown and eaten locally. Our Chefs aim towards tapping into that authentic local-flavor experience with each dish they create. At both The Portsmouth Brewery and Hayseed Restaurant we are so interested in this idea of locally grown produce, in fact, that we have built our whole 2018 Beer Socials season around this theme. At every beer social event we will be using as many locally sourced ingredients as we possibly can. This approach has a two-fold effect: it keeps our flavors honest, while also supporting our local farmers and community.

The first social this season is our “Pickled, Preserved, and Well-aged” event. It is on January 23 at The Portsmouth Brewery, and it features a menu that focuses on all things, you guessed it, pickled, aged, and preserved. However, this event isn’t just limited to your garden-variety brined pickles; there will be pickled or preserved fruits and meats on the menu as well. We will also be featuring some vintage or aged beers at this event, so get ready to re-discover some fan favorites!

Our focus on locally influenced food will continue to be incorporated throughout our social season for each event. On March 13 at Hayseed Restaurant, we will be having out “Back To Our Roots” event. This menu will largely feature vegetables and produce stored in local root cellars. There will also be Reggae music as well as feature foods from Brookford Farm. The next social is scheduled for April 17 at The Portsmouth Brewery. This event is our infamous “Chef/Brewer Battle,” where teams made up of Chefs and Brewers compete against one another. Each Chef and Brewer team, alongside with their chosen local farms, will battle it out to see who can claim the culinary crown. The Brewers will also be tasked with finding the perfect beer pairing for each dish. Lastly, our “Selkie and Sea Vegetables” event will be on May 15 at Hayseed Restaurant. This event will feature sea vegetables as well as locally sourced fish. We are so excited for our upcoming socials season, and cannot wait to see all of you there!